


Hell Is Empty (And All The Devils Are Here)

by DiamondsxStags



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Graphic descriptions, Murder Mystery, Set before the Movie, Slow Burn, age gap, because lbr it is pretty weak in some areas, death of the author yall get into it, i love the world overall but it needs a lot of improvements, i mean this is about a murder, i watched fantastic beasts last week and ive fallen back into hp hell, just in case anyone is squicked out by that, like five-six years before the movie, some canon divergence world building wise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2018-12-14 10:16:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11781060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondsxStags/pseuds/DiamondsxStags
Summary: When a young witch is found dead, Percival Graves promises to not rest until he finds the killer. Which would be a lot easier if the victim's best friend hadn't decided to insert herself into the investigation and insisted on leaving Percival stunned on multiple occasions.





	1. Chapter 1

It had been an extremely long day for Percival Graves and he was looking forward to going back to his apartment for a good night’s rest when the phone rang. He sighed heavily and shrugged his coat back on, knowing that he would have to put off his rendezvous with his bed for at least another hour. He picked up the receiver. “Percival Graves, MACUSA Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.”

 

“Mr Graves there’s been a...there’s been a murder.”

 

Percival’s frown deepened and his brow furrowed, but it was no longer out of frustration. “Where and who?”

 

“Mrs Landry’s Boarding House on 25th Street, do you know where that is sir?”

 

“Of course I do, who’s the victim?”

 

“Just checking sir. Not sure who the victim is sir, just that she’s a witch. Goldstein is already there questioning Mrs Landry.”

 

“I’ll be there.” He hangs up without waiting for a ‘yes sir’ and strides out of his office, wand in hand. “Wilkins, Adler, you two are coming with me to Mrs Landry’s Boarding House, a young woman has just been killed.”

 

Wilkins, a slim and falcon esque blond and Adler, a woman whose very being conjured an image of a jungle cat, both stood up and followed Percival out of the building with matching “Yes sir”s.

 

Mrs Landry’s Boarding House was a house that catered to young witches in New York, usually newcomers to the city, whether they be from other states or countries. To No-Maj’s, it looked like a bland and nondescript brick townhouse, which they forgot about the second it was out of their sight. Percival, Wilkins, and Adler all apparated in the alley beside the house and gave the area a quick lookover. By the looks of things there had not been any major disturbance, in fact the street was rather docile, at least for New York. When the three Aurors walked through the front door, they saw a very frazzled looking middle-aged woman talking to Tina Goldstein, another Auror.

 

“I-I never heard anything!” The woman, presumably Mrs Landry, said. “There was no noise, none at all! I had no idea….I had no idea….” Mrs Landry burst into tears, covering her face with her hands.

 

“Where’s the victim?” Percival asked, more to Tina than Mrs Landry.

 

“Second floor.” Tina replied, before turning to Mrs Landry to console her. “It’s perfectly alright Mrs Landry, just please calm down and tell me what you know.”

 

Percival decided to leave Mrs Landry to Tina. He never was very good with crying women. He went up to the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time, while Wilkins and Adler followed and urged the other witches in the boarding house to stay in their rooms and assured them that everything was under control.

 

On the second floor landing, a single door was wide open, and standing beside it was a young woman with dark hair, shaking worse than a leaf. Percival approached her slowly, silently urging Wilkins and Adler to stay a little behind. “Miss? Miss I’m with MACUSA, do you know what-”

 

A weight was suddenly thrown at Percival and it made him stumble back half a step. Out of the corners of his eyes he saw Wilkins and Adler draw their wands, but he waved at them to put them away when he saw that the weight was just the young woman, now clinging to him, and sobbing into his coat. He looked at the two Aurors and nodded at the room and they immediately went in.

 

Slowly, and rather awkwardly, Percival placed a hand on the woman’s back and used the other to stroke her hair, attempting to calm her. “It-it’s alright.” He said, slightly uncomfortably. “It’s going to be alright, you’re safe.”

 

The woman did not respond, instead she started to wail and call out in a language that Percival did not understand, but his heart ached for her all the same.

 

“Mr Graves?”

 

Percival looked up and saw Wilkins, usually stone faced, look disturbed, his dark eyes wide. 

 

“Yes?”

 

“You’ll want to see this sir.”

 

Percival nodded and looked down at the crying woman, but she was already running to Wilkins. “Don't touch her!” She shrieked, in an accent that was unfamiliar to Percival. “Don’t lay a hand on her!”

 

Despite being more than a foot taller, Wilkins immediately backed away, and the woman went back into the room. Percival quickly followed behind and saw Adler trying to fight off the young woman, who was once again wailing in the unknown language. Percival side stepped the two women and saw for himself what had called him in.

 

The victim was laid out on the floor, eyes wide and staring up at the ceiling. Deep, ugly slashes criss crossed her body, some going so deep as to almost completely sever that part of the body from the rest. Her clothes were so thoroughly soaked in blood Percival could scarcely tell what colour they had originally been, and a puddle had formed around her body. Percival felt his stomach roil and bile rise in his throat. In his profession he was used to murders done by a wand. The eyes were still empty and staring, but the body was usually otherwise untouched. This was far different. He squatted down beside her head, and gently turned it to the side, examining marks on her neck that looked a lot like-

 

“GET AWAY FROM HER!”

 

A blast sent Percival flying across the room, making him collide with a wall and momentarily rendered him stunned. He looked up and saw the young woman standing beside the victim, face streaked with tears. Wilkins and Adler had their wands out and eyes on the woman, just as thrown off guard as he was. He slowly rose to his feet and when the woman did not act again, Percival took a step forward. “I’m sorry.” He said quietly. “What’s your name?”

 

The woman hesitated, looking from Percival to the victim and then back again. She clenched her fists. “Chu’Si.”

 

Percival’s brow furrowed at the odd name, but he nodded. “Chu’Si, my name is Percival Graves. I’m with MACUSA and-”

 

“Prove it.” Chu’Si stares at him defiantly. “Show me your badge.”

 

Wilkins and Adler exchange looks of disbelief as Percival pulled out his wallet and showed his badge. He chanced another step closer. Chu’Si did not react. “I’m with MACUSA.” He said again. “I’m an Auror, and I’m here to help. The man is Wilkins and the woman is Adler. They’re here to help too. But we can’t help if you don’t let us.” He took another step as he put his badge back into his coat pocket. “Will you let us?”

 

Chu’Si stood there quietly, looking like she’s debating whether or not she should let them. But then she looked back down at the victim and her eyes were wet again. “Ok.” She stepped aside and unclenched her fists. “Ok.”

 

“Thank you.” Percival looked over at Wilkins. “Call the Department, we need to bring the body in for examination.” He turned to Adler. “Talk to Goldstein downstairs, ask her what she knows.” He turned back to Chu’Si, and offered her a hand. “Chu’Si, I need to take you to the Department to ask you some questions. Is that ok?”

 

Chu’Si responded by stepping forward and taking Percival’s hand.

 

When they had disapparated, they were in an interrogation room back at MACUSA, the walls, table and chairs all white. Percival took a seat and Chu’Si sat opposite him, still shaking but not as badly now. He pulled a notebook and pen out of his coat and shrugged it off, watching Chu’Si intently. “I’m going to ask you some questions now.” He said, as firmly as he could. “And I need you to tell me the truth. I will know if you’re lying. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What was her name?” Percival asks gently.

 

“Tiva.” Chu’Si’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Her name is Tiva.”

 

Another odd name, but Percival makes no comment on it. He also wondered how long it will take Chu’Si to stop referring to Tiva in the present tense. “How is it spelled?”

 

“T-I-V-A.” Chu’Si looked up at him. “She’s nineteen. We both are.”

 

Under the light, Percival could see Chu’Si more clearly. Her hair wasn’t just dark, it was pitch black, like ink, and eyes were a dark brown, like dirt after a heavy rain. There wasn’t a sign of age on her smooth face, barely even a wrinkle. It chilled him worse than any winter in New York. “How do you know Tiva?”

 

“We grew up together, on the reservation.” A smile tugged at Chu’Si’s lips and for moment they looked like they wanted to comply. “She’s my best friend.”

 

This was a detail Percival was not expecting. “A reservation?”

 

Chu’Si nodded. “Yes, a Hopi reservation in Arizona. We also went to the Pueblo School of Traditional Magic.”

 

The name did not sound familiar to Percival and he made a note to look into it. He also made a note to find out what ‘Hopi’ meant. “Why did the two of you come to New York?”

 

“We-we wanted to have a vacation.” Her voice shook and she had to swallow before continuing. “We’ve heard about New York, how amazing it is, and we’ve never even left the desert so we decided to see it for ourselves.” Tears re-appeared in Chu’Si’s eyes and her breath caught in her throat. “We haven’t even been here a full day.” She said in a strangled voice. “We got here at one in the afternoon, we were planning to see the city and...and…”

 

Percival pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to Chu’Si, who took it with a grateful look. “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt Tiva? Anyone who might have something to gain from her death?”

 

“What? No!” Chu’Si gripped the handkerchief tightly. “Tiva is a nice girl, everyone loves her. Back home she-” Chu’Si suddenly cut herself off as realization dawned on her face. “Her family.” She whispers. “I-I have to tell them. And they have to come and bury her.” She looked back up at Percival. “How long will you have her for?”

 

The question made Percival raise a brow. “Hard to say, we’ll need to fully examine the body and-”

 

“You have four days.”

 

When it comes to orders, Percival is only used to getting them from a few people. A grief struck nineteen year old is certainly not one of them. “Excuse me?”

 

“I want you to give me Tiva’s b-body... within four days.” Despite the slight stammer, Chu’Si managed to be firm and looked Percival directly in his eyes. “She needs to be properly buried.”

 

“You can bury her once we’re done.” Percival said. “Now are you-”

 

“No you don’t understand.” Chu’Si leaned forward, catching Percival completely off guard. “I  _ need _ to bury her within four days.”

 

Percival slowly narrowed his eyes as he steepled his fingers. “And why is that?”

 

“I need to perform the proper funeral rites. If she isn’t buried by the fourth day after her death, her soul’s journey to the afterlife could be hindered.” She wrung the handkerchief in her hands. “Her hair needs to be shampooed, she needs to be properly dressed, so many things need to be done….”

 

“I understand that you may have to perform certain duties, but-”

 

“Do you?” Chu’Si’s eyes flashed with something like indignation and it took Percival aback. “Do you really understand? Because if you don’t, I’d rather you didn’t pretend otherwise.”

 

This really was going to be a long night. “Like I said, the body needs to be fully examined and-”

 

“She isn’t a  _ body. _ Her name is  _ Tiva. _ ” Chu’Si abruptly stood, glaring at Percival. “And I  _ will _ get her body within four days, otherwise, this is where the interview ends.”

 

Percival frowned and stood, placing his palms on the table. “Chu’Si without your help this investigation could get difficult.”

 

“I’d rather your investigation be difficult than my best friend’s soul be kept from resting.” Chu’Si gritted her teeth. “Four days. That’s all you’re getting, and that’s counting today.”

 

It was clear that she wasn’t going to let up. Usually, when someone was making these kinds of demands, Percival could silently intimidate them back into submission and make them behave, but it didn’t seem to be working with Chu’Si. Despite his greater size, she didn’t seem to be the least bit afraid, and she kept glaring at him, daring him to do something. Percival looked into her mind, pulling at the curtains and saw the same ferocious stubbornness. Either she really did mean what she was saying, or she was able to convince Percival that she did through occlumency. He doubted it was the latter.

 

With a sigh, Percival sat back down, deciding that this battle just wasn’t worth it. “Fine.” He said, making another note. “You’ll get her body back within four days.”

 

“Promise me.” Chu’Si was still standing and now she was the one with the height advantage, although it was a slight one. “I want you to give me your word.”

 

“You have my word.” Percival said gravely. “Now, please sit down.” When she sat back down, Percival sighed heavily. “Miss I’m going to need your full co-operation in this case if you want to find Tiva’s killer. Can I count on that?”

 

“If I can count on you to give me Tiva’s body then yes, you can.”

 

Percival decided that was good enough and nodded. “Good, now-”

 

“But you will find the killer, won’t you?”

 

Did this woman have a problem with interrupting people or was Percival special? “I can guarantee that we will try our very best, but-”

 

“That’s not good enough.” Chu’Si leaned forward again, handkerchief dangerously close to being torn apart in her hands. “You  _ will _ find the killer. Promise me that, too.”

 

Making one promise was bad enough, but making another one after the first within a minute was worse, especially if it was one Percival knew he couldn’t deliver one hundred percent. “Miss I-”

 

“Promise. Me. Or I walk.”

 

Another stare down commenced, and Percival had started to wonder just where this woman found her boldness and gall. Because either she had both in plenty supply, or she was incredibly skilled at occlumency.

 

“Look me in the eyes and promise me that you will find the bastard that did this, Percival Graves. And… and promise me that I can help, that I can be part of the investigation.”

 

A beat passes, and in that beat Percival saw a flicker of fear in Chu’Si’s eyes, like she was afraid that she had gone too far. But then the fear is gone and the ferocity was back and Percival didn’t know if he should be agitated or impressed. “I promise you,” he said, with all the sincerity he had, “that we will find who killed Tiva. Together. You have my word as an Auror of MACUSA.”

 

“Do I have your word as a man?” Chu’Si raised a brow.

 

Did she ever let up? “Yes, you have my word as a man.”

 

In the silence that followed, Chu’Si lips form a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They were still burning away with rage and grief, but she nodded all the same and held out her hand. “Very well.”

 

Percival shook her hand, but he was unable to shake off the feeling that this may be a decision he will come to regret.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO FORGOT ALL ABOUT THIS SFJGNFJOGNFJOGNDFJOP  
> anyways thank u for being patient! im officially on break so hopefully i'll be able to churn these chapters out a lot quicker and easier!

The current medical examiner, Mei Zhou, had only been hired six months ago and she was already making a name for herself as an extremely competent, and somewhat intimidating, woman. In a way, Chu’Si reminded Percival of her and he could only imagine what it would be like to have the two in the same room. Even worse, how would Chu’Si react to the way Zhou would inevitably talk about Tiva, with clinical detachment? Most people who don’t work in the law enforcement department find it more than a little off putting, but for Chu’Si it would surely be much harder.

 

Percival opened the door to the examination room hesitantly, glancing at Chu’Si. “Zhou? It’s Graves.” Tiva’s body was laid out on an examination table, stripped of her clothes which were laid out on a separate table. Seeing her now, Percival noted that the cuts went much deeper, completely slicing through her flesh and even showing a bit of bone in some areas. But the worst part was her genitalia. Or rather, lack thereof. It had been viciously, and rather crudely, removed, completely mutilating her pelvic area. Percival could feel all the blood rushing from his face and his stomach roiled. He looked over at Chu’Si, who appeared to be just as horrified. Already Percival knew this was going to haunt him for the rest of his days.

 

“I wasn’t aware you would be bringing a guest Graves.” Zhou had suddenly materialized at Percival’s elbow, startling him greatly. She was far too good at doing that.

 

Percival cleared his throat, finally tearing his gaze away from the disgusting sight. “It’s a long story.” He said, tongue heavy in his mouth.

 

Zhou raised a brow and glanced at Chu’Si, who looked like she was about to throw up. “You knew her?” Her tone was gentle, which Percival was unused to.

 

“She’s my best friend.” Chu’Si whispered. Her hand was on the corner of the table, gripping it so hard her knuckles turned white.

 

“What’s her name?”

 

“Tiva.” Chu’Si’s fingers glided over the metal to stray strands of hair. She stroked them ever so lightly, like Tiva was still alive and she’s trying to comfort her. “I found her.”

 

When she had told Percival that back in the interrogation room, it had made him pause. It made him want to say something comforting, something that would express his sympathy. But he didn’t, because he didn’t have the words and he knew that whatever words he would use in their place would come off bland and awkward and possibly hinder more than help. He sees the same conflict on Zhou’s face.

 

“What can you tell us?” Percival asked, his voice shattering the reverential silence like glass.

 

“She wasn’t hit with a single spell.” Zhou waved her hand over Tiva’s body and thin, grey vapors rose from it. “All the violence was either done by hand or with a weapon.” She went over to the table that had Tiva’s clothes, and came back with a damp, crumpled up handkerchief. “I found this in her mouth. Whoever killed her most likely used it to gag her.” She looked over at Chu’Si, who had been able to tear her eyes away from Tiva, but not her fingers. “Do you recognize it?”

 

Chu’Si watched as Zhou delicately unfolded the handkerchief, and the strangled noise that came from Chu’Si’s throat gave an answer before she even opened her mouth. “It’s her grandmother’s…”

 

The handkerchief was clearly made by a loving hand, most likely the grandmother’s, which made it all worse. A large spider had been embroidered in the center, using four of its legs to create a person from clay while it’s web was embroidered across the top, looking like a net that had captured the stars. It was beautiful.

 

“Could you get anything from it?” Graves asked.

 

“Not a thing.” Zhou laid the handkerchief on the table beside Tiva. “Since no magic was used to kill her, I can’t get as much as I usually do. Except that whoever killed her most likely intentionally refused to use magic so that we couldn’t track them down.” Her eyes went back to the ugly, gaping wound where Tiva’s genitalia used to be. “I think it might have been a man who more than likely hates women and is impotent. It’s possible the two are linked but it’s hard to say.”

 

Percival nodded, running a hand over his jaw. “It’s possible.” He said, because no other words came to mind. He had never seen a body like this, and as far as he knew neither had anyone else who had worked at MACUSA. He may have to go back through the records, but he was confident that nothing as violent as this has ever been seen by anyone working at MACUSA, in any capacity.

 

“Can I...can I have that?” Chu’Si’s voice was weak and it shook slightly as her eyes rested on the handkerchief. “If it’s possible. I mean, if you need it still…”

 

In all the, admittedly rather short, time Percival knew Zhou, he had never known her to be sentimental, or even the least bit affectionate. Even her interactions with her wife were formal, at least from what he had seen. But now Zhou was showing a softer side, and it was throwing Percival through a loop. He watched as Zhou gently picked up the handkerchief and folded it neatly before handing it to Chu’Si.

 

“Take it. I got all I need from it.” Her eyes, usually hard and cold, were kind and sympathetic.

 

Chu’Si took the handkerchief, gripping it tight in her hands. “Thank you.” She looked back down at Tiva before looking at Percival. “I’m going to wait outside.”

 

Percival nodded and watched as Chu’Si slowly, almost painstakingly, drew her hand away from Tiva’s hair and left the examination room, shoulders shaking. When the door closed, Percival let out a heavy sigh. “Fuck me.” He mumbled.

 

“Quite.” Zhou looked back down at Tiva, clearly still troubled. “Will we be seeing a lot of your friend at MACUSA?”

 

“Yeah…” Percival rubbed the back of his head and sighed, angling his neck to get a crick out of it. “I promised Chu’Si she could help with the investigation.” At the look on Zhou’s face he added “It was either that or she would refuse to co-operate.”

 

“And you listened to her?” Zhou raised a brow. “Look at this, big mister Percival Graves, undone by a woman who looks like she’s just left school.” She smirked.

 

Percival decided then to keep Chu’Si’s age a secret, at least from Zhou, for the time being. “I also told her she can have Tiva’s body back within four days for burying.”

 

“Now that could be a problem.” Zhou said. “Did she say why four days specifically?”

 

Percival shrugged. “Not really, she said something about Tiva’s soul needing to reach the afterlife but that was it.”

 

Zhou frowned. “You know, in China, four is considered an unlucky number.”

 

At the mention of Zhou’s home country, Percival raised an eyebrow. He had never heard Zhou talk about China, and to him the land seemed exotic and mysterious, filled with secrets as old as it. “Why’s that?”

 

“Because in Cantonese the word is a near perfect homophone for death.” Zhou’s eyes traveled the length of Tiva’s body, and she looked like she was thinking very deeply. “Tell Chu’Si I’ll do my best to give her back the body, but I can’t promise her anything.”

 

“Of course.” Percival said, already planning on not doing anything of the sort. “Let me know if you find out anything new.”

 

Zhou nodded and she went back to Tiva’s belongings, while Percival left the room.

 

In the hallway, standing against a wall beside the door, Chu’Si was weeping. The handkerchief was open in her hands, and it collected her freely flowing tears. Percival hesitated, the urge to say something coming back. But what could he say that would make this better?

 

The two stood in silence, Percival with his hands in his pockets, and Chu’Si crying over the friend who had ripped away from her in the most horrific way possible. He should get her back to the boarding house, tell her to sleep, that staying awake and fretting over this would not do her good. He would, but not now. Now there’s a woman who was barely a woman, who had just shed girlhood, who needed to grieve, would need to grieve for the rest of her life probably. And Percival decided he would let her.

* * *

 

That night, when Mei returned home to Bao Yu, she held her wife a little tighter, a little longer. Said  _ I love you _ tenderly, as she tried to separate Bao from Tiva in her mind, and failed. That night, she wasn’t able to sleep until long after Bao’s breaths had become rhythmic, and her heartbeat steady. Mei wrapped her arms around Bao and watched the dark corners of their bedroom.

* * *

 

“What’s with the spider?” Percival asked, glancing over at the handkerchief as he and Chu’Si inspected the apartment. It had been roped off from the public since the night before and Chu’Si had to sleep in another room in the boarding house. Now the two of them were going over every square inch, trying to find something that would direct them somewhere helpful. “Looks like there might be a story there.” He was doing his best to initiate small talk, but it felt clunky and awkward.

 

Chu’Si was silent at first and Percival wondered if she had picked up on the awkwardness in his voice and had chosen to ignore him before she spoke. “It tells a story.” She said. “In Hopi legend, Spider Grandmother made us out of clay and lead us to the Fourth World, where we live today.” She pulled out the handkerchief and ran her thumbs over the spider. “She even made the stars, by spinning a web and trapping dew inside it and throwing it into the sky.”

 

It was an odd story, but Percival decided that he liked it. He looked under Tiva’s bed and saw, way at the back, a small leather case. He reached out and pulled it into the light, holding it by its sides. “Do you recognize this Chu’Si?”

 

In a moment Chu’Si was at Percival’s elbow, handkerchief back in her pocket. “Yeah, Tiva kept a bunch of trinkets in there.” She had seemed satisfied to leave it there, but Percival was not.

 

He placed it on the kitchen table, Chu’Si’s eyes following him, and he waved his hand in front of the lock. When the top refused to budge, Percival tried again, and this time when he failed to open it again, he heard Chu’Si laugh.

 

“Here, let me.” Percival side stepped out of the way and watched her run her fingers over the lock. No sooner had her fingers left the metal that a distinctive  _ click _ rang out in the otherwise quiet room. “Tiva used an old Hopi locking charm.” She said when she saw the bewilderment on Percival’s face. “You need to use another charm to unlock it.” Chu’Si opened the case, her face softening upon seeing the contents.

 

The case was the kind that had different compartments to store things and, much to Percival’s surprise, it appeared to be non-magical. Enamel pins, dried herbs and flowers, shiny stones and other such bits and pieces were all put in individual squares, separated by various upright lengths of leather that had been sewn together and into the lining of the case. The case spoke of girl who was sentimental, who kept things because she had grown attached to them, who had lived and loved. And now she lay mutilated and dead on a bed of steel.

 

Percival ran a finger along the edge on the inside of the case, and felt something strange. He furrowed his brow and dug his fingers in, ignoring Chu’Si’s protests. With a bit of effort, Percival was able to remove the false bottom. When it was lifted up, a small pile of letters was revealed in the sunlight, black cursive shining. Percival didn’t have to ask Chu’Si to know that she had no idea about the letters.

 

With shaking hands, Chu’Si took the topmost letter and read it silently, while Percival watched. “I don’t…” Her voice sounded strangled, like the night before, but there was an edge of hurt to it and shock, at knowing that there was something about her best friend that had been hidden from her.

 

As an Auror, Percival has seen the kinds of secrets people hide away, in the darkest corners of themselves, and the way the people they knew, the people who thought they knew their friend/colleague/relative/lover, would react to these secrets. Sometimes it was heartbreak. Sometimes it was rage. Every now and then, it was pity. He had seen that, had seen this, over and over and over-

 

Yet somehow this was so much worse.

 

“She was going to meet someone.” Chu’Si croaked out. “She...she  _ knew _ someone, here, in New York.” Her eyes went to the bottom of the letter, to the signature. “Edgar.” Chu’Si looked up at Percival. “Not even a last name.”

 

Percival’s mouth set into a fine line and he cursed under his breath, before closing the case with letters, leaving the trinkets where they were. “Do you know if there was any way Tiva would’ve known someone here in the city?”

 

“No, I don’t...I’m sorry I really don’t.”

 

Percival sighed. “Well then, looks like we’re going to have a very long afternoon.”

* * *

 

Several floors below the entrance to MACUSA was the Department of Record Keeping, one of the biggest departments in the whole building alongside Percival’s own. While the work done there is considered to be dreadfully dull and mundane, it was always said that it was still valuable, which was completely true. The department had the names of every single wizard and witch in America, including those born to No-Majs and those that had come from overseas. Every hour the records were updated, as births and deaths came through on memos, arrivals and departures were noted, as the workers memorized the names of people they would most likely never meet. It was as a good place as any to start the hunt for Edgar.

 

After a conversation with the head of the department, Percival and Chu’Si were ushered into an empty room, where different department workers, including one Percival recognized as Zhou’s wife, came in and out, laying out boxes. They were the records of every wizard in the state, all alphabetized by surname. Percival held back a sigh, already knowing what lay in store.

 

“You start at A, and I’ll start at Z.” Chu’Si said, without looking at Percival as she picked up the ‘Z’ box and placed it on the table with a  _ thunk _ . “I suppose you’re relieved you agreed to my deal now.”

 

The wry tone Chu’Si used assured Percival that it was ok to smile, at least a little, so he did. “It will certainly make this easier.” He said, with just enough lightness and when Chu’Si smiled at him, a real wide smile, he decided that he liked it. Especially the way the corners of her eyes crinkled and the dimples on her cheeks looked fit to burst through and the shape her mouth took and-

 

Percival was able to cut off that train of thought before it got too far down the rails.

 

For the first ten minutes or so, the two sat in silence, papers rustling as they were discarded, one after the other, when the name Edgar was not shown, while the ones that did have the name were set aside, but those were very few and far between. Every so often, Percival would glanced up at Chu’Si, her face grim yet determined, a line forming in her brow after another dud. In those moments, she looked older than nineteen. Not by much, but still older, and it made Percival feel better. But that wasn’t by much either, and it didn’t last long.

 

“Tell me about Tiva.” He said finally. “What was she like?”

 

The look Chu’Si gave him was one of surprise, and in the twitch of her mouth and flicker of an eyelid he saw suspicion, and he knew that it had made a home for itself in Chu’Si’s skin long before they ever met. “Everyone liked her.” She said finally, with something like fondness, and something else like jealousy. “She was kind and gentle and sweet and patient and I was…” She paused, and Percival could see the faint outline of her tongue pressing against the inside of her cheek, like she was searching the inside of her mouth for words. “I wasn’t.”

 

“Care to elaborate?”

 

“I was a difficult child. I suppose in some ways I still am.” Chu’Si cast her eyes downward and pretend to go through more of the files. “I was impatient and loud and caused my mother no end of trouble. Everyone on the reservation told her that I was too wild and that I needed to be reigned in, I heard them, they never thought so but I did, and my mother said that she could deal with it. Because it reminded her of my father.”

 

Percival did not ask, just let her continue.

 

“On the reservation, you knew everyone, whether you liked it or not. Tiva was the only one I liked. She could calm me down and make me laugh and when were eleven and first went to school I cried and cried. She didn’t tell me to stop or calm down or that everything would be better. She just sat beside me and held my hand. She was the sister I never had.”

 

_ And now she’s dead _ .

 

Percival didn’t need to use legilimency to know that’s what hung in the air. “Tell me more.”

 

And she did. Chu’Si told him of how when they were children, Tiva would get bullied for being the soft spoken and ‘weak’ one, and while Chu’Si would always resort to fighting the bullies, Tiva would just smile. She gave out forgiveness freely because she could see no other way of living. She didn’t want to be trapped in a cycle of bitterness and anger, so she let things go. Chu’Si had never been as successful at that, even when she tried. And after every fight Tiva would scold her and tell her to be the bigger person while tending to her wounds. Chu’Si had never met anyone with a softer heart, a more forgiving soul, and she doubted she ever would. Where Chu’Si was blazing rage, Tiva was pure tranquility.

 

It didn’t take long for Percival to notice a pattern in what Chu’Si was saying. Tiva was the good one, soft and always extending a hand, while Chu’Si was rough and kept a fist clenched tight. In every story she shared, there was the same underlying thread of self deprecation, bordering on self hate, while Tiva remained exalted and idolized.

 

“It should’ve been me.”

 

Although her voice was soft, it was enough to make Percival pause. Chu’Si’s eyes were watering, as she held another file in her shaking hands. “It should’ve been me.” She said again. “She had so much to live for, so many things to accomplish-”

 

“So do you.” Percival pointed out, as kindly as he could.

 

But Chu’Si shook her head, putting the file back in its box. She buried her face in her hands, her nails digging into her scalp. “What can I do? Tiva was the smart one, she could’ve done so much. I should be the one who was killed, not her.”

 

“If that had happened then Tiva would be grieving instead of you, and probably saying the same thing.” Percival reached out and gently held Chu’Si’s wrist. “Everyone is going to lose someone, that’s just the way life is, and most of the time they will wish they had gone in that person’s place. But what would change if they had? If this job has taught me anything it’s that Death cares as much about who dies as we care how ants go about their business. It takes whoever it wants and I wish I could undo it all, I really do, but I can’t. But what I can do, what  _ we _ can do is do justice to Tiva’s memory and find whoever killed her and make sure they never hurt anyone else ever again.”

 

In the ensuing silence, the two stared at each other for the first time since the interrogation room. Percival’s fingers remained wrapped around Chu’Si’s wrist, and he was both hyper aware of their skin-to-skin contact and completely oblivious to it. The warmth beneath his fingertips radiated through him and he could almost feel the desert heat that still lingered in Chu’Si’s bones. But his eyes would not leave Chu’Si’s, which shone with tears so heavily Percival could see his reflection. Her lips trembled and she looked on the verge of wailing, but she wasn’t going to let herself do it. He could see from her attempts at restraint that she was not used to being this open, this vulnerable. Except for maybe with Tiva.

 

In a bold move that he could not explain (and would never be able to explain, even years later), Percival’s fingers slowly trailed upwards, skimming over Chu’Si’s rough and weathered palm, coarse as sand. He gently wrapped his fingers around her hand.

 

“We  _ will _ find whoever did this.” He said, voice soft and grip firm. “I don’t care how long it takes, or what I have to do, or where I have to go. It  _ will _ happen.” Of course, Percival had no way of knowing this for sure, but damn it, he wanted to  _ believe _ . But more important than that, he wanted Chu’Si to believe. She was the one who was going to live with this for the rest of her life, be plagued by nightmares and haunted by visions of her mutilated friend.

 

She looked at him, and Percival took a sharp intake of breath. She looked at him with hope, like she wanted to believe him, was almost halfway there, but she was holding herself back. She didn’t to put all of her faith into this just yet, but she wanted to.

 

She wanted to so  _ badly _ .

 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” She said softly.

 

Averting her gaze back to the files in front of her, Chu’Si withdrew her hand from Percival’s grip and turned a page.

 

It took Percival a moment to pull back his hand, and when he did his fingers felt suddenly cold. He went back to the file in his hands, and tried to ignore the embarrassment that was rising in his stomach.

**Author's Note:**

> big thanks to my beta readers headsindreams, sarahseneviratne, and amarynthian-fortress all of whom u can find on tumblr!!!  
> u can find me at borderlinemangle.tumblr.com and if u like what i do leave a kudos, a comment, and even check out my ko-fi page and throw me some dollars if u can!


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